Where Do Funeral Directors Make the Most Money? Understanding the Funeral Industry: Salaries and Requirements

Funeral Director Salary Insights

Factors play in determining salary. According to Payscale, the average compensation for a Funeral Director will be $51,058 this year. ZipRecruiter had identified that there are 7 states where the average compensation for a funeral director position is higher than the national average. The typical hourly pay for funeral administrators inside the US is now between $25.24 (25th percentile) and $36.06 (seventy-fifth percentile), with ZipRecruiter reporting stages from $15.14 to $38.94. Funeral directors’ annual salaries range from $44,000 to $77,000 per year. Experience can impact a funeral director’s earning potential. On average, any funeral home can expect a mid-range gross profit margin of anywhere between 30 and 60 percent for each service, and an overall business profit margin between 6 and 9 percent. Salary Ranges for Funeral Director & Morticians range from $102,958 to $140,090. The most common sector, by number of institutions, that offers Funeral Service & Mortuary Science programs are Public. Highest paying cities for Funeral Directors in United States: Oakland, CA. $79,422 per year. Half of the workers in this category make more than $42,780 and half earn less.

Career Path and Training

Becoming a funeral director requires a degree in mortuary science. There are no legal formal training requirements for becoming a funeral director, but the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) runs a foundation certificate in funeral service, a diploma in funeral directing and a diploma in funeral-service management. The average pay for an Embalmer is $64,844 a year in Canada.

Top-Paying Locations for Funeral Directors

We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 highest-paying cities for Funeral Director jobs:

  1. Richmond, CA takes the lead
  2. Bellevue, WA
  3. Federal Way, WA

Federal Way, WA goes even further with an astounding $12,049 (18.7%) above the $64,408 average.

Highest Paying States and Countries

  • As shown, with an annual salary of $82,270, Connecticut is the highest paying state for morticians, undertakers, and funeral directors.
  • It is followed by Minnesota (average annual salary $80,560).
  • In the UK, the average salary for a Funeral Director is £24,347.

Mortician Salary Insights

The highest-paid morticians make approximately $40.90 per hour, with annual salaries ranging from $29,260 to $85,060. Mortuary science studies deceased bodies through mortuary work. The average national salary for morticians is $54,330 – $20,000 more than average for all occupations. Funeral homes average three full-time and three part-time employees. The median annual wage for morticians, undertakers, and funeral directors was $57,580 as of May 2018. The median annual salary for embalmers is $42,780 or $20.57 per hour. Connecticut, Massachusetts, Delaware, New Jersey and Illinois pay morticians the highest wages. Connecticut pays an average of $134,770 per year. In Massachusetts, the average is $91,140 per year.

Requirements for Becoming a Mortician

To become a mortician, the minimum requirements are:

  • Being at least 21 years old
  • Completing an accredited funeral service or mortuary science degree program

It takes 2-4 years to earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. While the job can be emotionally difficult, morticians provide important support and require compassion and empathy.

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